Pallets have been used in the handling and shipping of various goods for many years. Pallets are used to protect various goods, to provide support during handling, and to facilitate the movement of such goods with machines such as forklifts.
Typical pallets include a surface or platform on which the goods may be set, as well as some type of legs which hold the platform off the ground. Maintaining a space between the platform and ground allows the pallets to be easily picked up and moved. With heavy goods, a forklift is generally used to move the goods since the fork can simply be slid between the platform and ground, and then the goods may be lifted.
Originally, pallets were made from wood, but now many other materials such as molded plastics are being used. Examples of such pallets are shown in Schott, U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,093 and Wind, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,737 as shown in these patents, pallets have been made from molded plastic to provide durability and to facilitate manufacture. Plastic pallets can also be recycled if damaged.
Plastic pallets have been formed into various shapes and types, but are not adequate for various uses. When used to transport heavy coiled stock such as aluminum, the edges of the pallet often crack when the pallet is tipped on its side to release the coil from the pallet if the pallet is substantially greater in size than the rolled stock. Additionally, the legs do not always provide adequate support for heavy materials.